You're moving where?

That is the question we get most of the time. I guess when I say we're moving to Belgium, it is not something people expect us to say. If I said we were moving to Chicago, it would be normal or at least recognizable. If I said we were moving to Florida, people would start lining up for a free place to stay on Spring Break. And if I said we were moving to Wisconsin, we would get all kinds of cheese jokes. Instead, we get puzzled looks and lots of questions. I will answer as many as I can.

Some more daring folks sheepishly say, "Where is Belgium?"

Belgium is located in the middle of Europe. Its proximity to so many other countries, makes it the unofficial capital of Europe. It has coast to the north and forest to the south.

"Why are you moving? Is it a transfer?"

Part of Bob's job includes working all over the world. Living in Brussels, Belgium will make him more centralized and give us the opportunity to see him more.

"Are you excited?"

Of course.

"Are you scared?"

Of course.

"Is Maria mad at you?"

Of course, but not really. She will miss her friends and dance more than anything. There are some things we just can't replicate about her life. Maria has the best situation where she dances now. Stage I has been her home and now she has to give it up. She works there, dances there, hangs out there, and grows as a person there. I just wish we could pack it up with us and bring it along.

"How are the twins?"

Leah and Jennifer are excited and have tons of questions. Unlike Maria, they get to bring their best friend along with them. That makes moving away a little easier. They too have to give up dance at Stage I and their awesome school. In their case, I wish we could pack up their school program and bring it along with us.

"When are you selling your house?"

We aren't.

"What language do they speak?"

Half of Belgium speaks French and the other half speaks Flemish. The dividing line splits the country down the middle through Brussels. Our town, Overijse, is Flemish. The town just 5 miles away to the west is French. We don't speak either language but all the kids will learn French in school as a part of their curriculum.

"Will you live in an apartment?"

No. We will live in a brand new house in Overijse, Belgium, just outside of Brussels.

"Where will the girls go to school?"

All three girls will go to the International School of Brussels. They will ride the bus which picks them up at the bakery located at the entrance to our street. I am sure they will have a very "yummy" ride each day!

And finally, the worst question of all..."When are you moving?"

I wish I had a definite answer. Our belongings are being packed on June 23, but it takes 5 weeks for our things to arrive in Overijse. After sailing on a ship and clearing customs, we may be able to move into the house around August 1. We still haven't picked an exact date to leave the USA.

I'm still playing with pictures. If I can wrestle the camera away from Maria, I will post a picture of her too up next to the twins.

So much to do...

We are moving to Belgium!

There is so much to do if you want to live in a foreign country, legally that is. Every form and certificate has to be notarized and then given another notary called an Apostelle. Bob has created a "notebook" full of documents, instructions, guides, maps, business cards, certificates, time lines, school info, etc. If there is even a glimmer of an idea that we may need that piece of paper in order to make this move easier, Bob has saved it. Each item is stuffed into a clear plastic three hole punched page and added to the "notebook". The notebook was a great idea until we left it on top of the throw rug display at JCPenney. We got a call from the store later that night saying they had found something they thought might belong to us and it "looks very important". Stephanie at JCPenney thought it was so important that she put it in the safe for the evening! Maybe she saw the copy of our new lease written in Flemish.

Here is our timeline so far.

April - Visit Belgium and France with kids. Show them the sights then tour International schools in Brussels. Had a great time and even picked a school.

May 5 - Julie and Bob return to Belgium to find a house close to school and work. (South Brussels and Zeventam Airport) Found a house in Overijse, Belgium. It is still under construction and will be done on July 15. If someone in the US told me their new home would be done on July 15, I would not believe them. But we have been assured that Belgium builders are true to their word and never ever face time sensitive setbacks!

May 9-31 - Plan feverishly. Get physicals for kids and apply for an important and expensive item called a DVisa. Every single day is filled with some little task which gets us closer to our move. Did you know that although Julie's birth certificate has been fine for 44 years, it has now been discovered that it was actually signed by a clerk and therefore, not official? $55 and a very long paper trail are all it took to get an official birth certificate.

June 23 - Pack house. Somebody is doing this for us, thank goodness. Right now we are obsessed with one thought. If I don't clean out this cabinet, the movers will pack needless items that I will never need or won't be able to plug in, for the next two years in Belgium.

After June 30 - Wander around like nomads. Our things will take 5 weeks to arrive in Overijse, Belgium after sailing on a very slow boat and clearing customs. Want some company?

This was my first post on a blog! Next I will try to add photos.